New Year’s Resolutions Perseverance!

The start of a new year always brings with it the idea of new beginnings; leaving the old behind and starting with a blank canvas. We’re supposed to quit all of our bad habits and do more of what is good for us, and with that, we try to lose weight, eat better, spend less, learn a new language, and the list goes on…

And while writing lists of goals and dreams is always well and good, statistics say that a mere 8% of us succeed at our new year’s resolutions. We end up blaming our failures on lack of willpower, time, or some other factor that is out of our control. We either accept defat and forget about it, or are left feeling guilty and unfulfilled.

At a dinner just before new years eve, a friend mentioned that they hate new years due to the pressure to make huge life changes, when all they really want to do is continue on the same path. Obviously they’d want to keep making progress and move forward, but on their own accord.

Of course, attempting to reach a goal, but failing to do so, is far better than never trying at all, and might even be a necessary part of the process. This is where the secret lies. The true path to success is rooted in perseverance, and consists of reaching countless small goals, one after the other. Not enough attention is given to qualities like persistence and tenacity, yet very few succeed without them, regardless of talent, education or coin. Yes, these make it easier for sure, but as Mr Calvin Coolidge once said, nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

There’s been many a time since the start of SemiDomesticated, a little over three years ago, that we’ve doubted our path or wondered where it’s leading us. Yet, time and time again, we are reminded by the many successful designers, entrepreneurs, and visionaries that we are lucky to interview or collaborate with, that the ones who make it are the ones who work their asses off and never give up (to quote this poster yet again). And even if life, and other work, occasionally comes in the way, causing our Monday Mood to be delayed to a Wednesday, or an interview to be rescheduled until the following week, we get back in the saddle and stick to our course. Staying power brought us lots of exciting new events last year, which we will get back to in a later post, and we’re excited to see where it will take us in 2014.

Next, we will publish a story about a duo who practically personifies steadfastness, both through their approach to work and the mediums they work with. Collaborating closely with craftspeople who carry with them decades, or even centuries of knowledge and skill, they are able to push ancient techniques and materials to create new objects, and products with an origin. And if it isn’t already clear how the images in this week’s mood (above) ties into this text, we guarantee that the coming interview will connect the missing dots. So stay tuned!

With that, we would like to wish all of our readers, friends, family, colleagues and collaborators a happy new year — and keep truckin’!